Şahsuvar Bey Mosque

1. Identity and Location

Şahsuvar Bey Mosque is a historic place of worship at the corner of Büyük Hendek Street and Lakerdacı Street in Bereketzade neighbourhood, Galata, Beyoğlu, Istanbul. It was endowed in the 15th century by Şahsuvar Mehmed Bey, a sailor of Mehmed the Conqueror. The architect of the building is unknown.

Within Galata's layered urban fabric, the mosque stands on the same street as the Neve Şalom Synagogue, reflecting the neighbourhood's long tradition of different faiths living side by side. Historical maps suggest the site lay near the Galata walls, inside the line of the former ditch along what is now Büyük Hendek Street.

2. Historical Process

The mosque underwent various repairs and transformations over the centuries. In the 19th century, interventions with reinforced concrete and an arabesque vocabulary largely weakened its original character. Left dilapidated in the 1930s, it was revived in 1954 through local community contributions.

In 2003 it was damaged in the bombing targeting Neve Şalom Synagogue, followed by partial repairs. In 2014 the restoration was commissioned by the 2nd Regional Directorate of Foundations to Hb Restorasyon. Between 2014 and 2016 the Directorate General of Foundations carried out a comprehensive restoration: the ruined roof was removed and rebuilt as a traditional timber truss roof; inappropriate reinforced concrete elements were removed; timber floors and stairs were renewed; and the minaret was partly dismantled and rebuilt. The mosque was reopened for worship after completion.

3. Architectural Features

The present mosque is without a dome and covered with a tiled roof. The façade combines cut-stone and brick masonry with pointed-arch and horseshoe-arch windows and a foundation inscription above the entrance. Inside, a projecting plaster mihrab, timber ceiling, minbar and pulpit define the prayer hall.

To the left of the entrance stands a single-gallery brick minaret on a cut-stone and brick base. Together with neighbouring buildings on the narrow street, it forms part of Galata's historic neighbourhood silhouette.

4. Conservation Project

Bike Architecture prepared survey, restitution and restoration projects for Şahsuvar Bey Mosque in Beyoğlu for submission to the Regional Directorate of Foundations. The work covered documentation of the present condition, reading the building's historical development through architectural evidence, and conservation-based intervention decisions.

Survey drawings included plans, sections, elevations and a site plan. Restitution proposals were developed from archive sources, historical maps and surviving traces. Restoration drawings translated survey and restitution data into repair, consolidation and improvement measures.

5. Assessment

Şahsuvar Bey Mosque is an important heritage building linking early Ottoman continuity with Galata's multicultural urban context. Recent restoration has strengthened its structure and timber character; the conservation project provides a scientific basis for its long-term protection and transmission to future generations.